


The last gold

by Akemichan



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: 2019championsheith, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Sports, Diving, M/M, Olympics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-23
Updated: 2019-08-23
Packaged: 2020-09-24 19:57:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20364235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akemichan/pseuds/Akemichan
Summary: “So, what are your thoughts about this final?”“It’ll be interesting, for sure. The Chinese team is definitely the favorite, and after losing the gold in the single, Cao Yang will be even more motivated,” Shiro explains. “The Mexican team is another contender for the podium, and Great Britain one has shown very impressive dives in the semifinal.”“And then there’s our team. Kogane/McClain.”Shiro leaves the best for the last. “As silver medalists at the last World Championship, I think they’re the stronger contenders after the Chinese team.”Writter for the second week of the Championsheith2019 - Summer/Pair





	The last gold

“Ladies and Gentlemen, we are here from the [Centro Aquático Maria Lenk](https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centro_Aqu%C3%A1tico_Maria_Lenk) of [Rio de Janeiro](https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_de_Janeiro) for the synchro 3 meters. This is Bob and my right-hand man…”

“…hi, this is Shiro. But, to be honest, Bob, I feel _you_ should be my right-hand. I need one, you know.”

Shiro’s black humor isn’t appreciated by everyone, but he doesn’t care too much. It’s one of his way to exorcise what happened to him.

“Maybe so, but I definitely need your help here,” Bob continues. “So, what are your thoughts about this final?”

“It’ll be interesting, for sure. The Chinese team is definitely the favorite, and after losing the gold in the single, Cao Yang will be even more motivated,” Shiro explains. “The Mexican team is another contender for the podium, and Great Britain one has shown very impressive dives in the semifinal.”

“And then there’s our team.”

Shiro leaves the best for the last. “As silver medalists at the last World Championship, I think they’re the stronger contenders after the Chinese team.”

“They enter in the final with the fifth score,” Bob points out.

“They made small mistakes in a couple of dives, nothing they can’t correct now,” Shiro replies, trying to contain the little anger that Bob’s skepticism caused. “The final will be another thing entirely.”

“Keith Kogane arrives in this final with two Olympic gold medals already, single 3 meters and single platform,” Bob continues. “It’s possible this will affect his performance today?”

“Not at all,” Shiro states. “Keith comes here with the goal of winning all his three competitions. This is the last, and he’ll do anything to win it.”

“And what about Lance McClain? It’s his first Olympic final, having failed to enter in the 3-meter final.”

“Lance worked hard. He was tensed in the single, but pair is different. He has a partner he can rely on, and that can support. He showed at the World Championship what he can do. He’ll be fine.”

“And you?” Bob inquires, with a small smirk. “How are you feeling?”

“Me?” Shiro fakes ignorance: he doesn’t like every time people, and journalists especially, remember him he can’t compete anymore. It’s like they have a sadistic way to show how much the sport lost after Shiro’s accident. “I’m pretty good, thank you.”

“I mean, how are you feeling seeing Keith here, with another partner,” Bob explains himself. “Four years ago, the USA team were composed by you two.”

“But I’ve never competed in the 3meters,” Shiro comments, lightly. “Keith and I competed from the platform only.”

It was a choice from Keith’s part. They were a pair in the platform because it was a better fit for their different body types; after Shiro’s accident, Keith refused to take another athlete with him. He accepted Lance after a lot of requests from the Garrison Diving School, and only because they would compete in the 3meters only.

Shiro wouldn’t mind, because he was the first to see Keith’s potential as a diver back then, and he wanted for Keith to win as much as he can. But Keith isn’t going to replace Shiro, and Shiro respects his decision.

“Still, don’t you mind to see him competing with another partner?” Bob presses again. “Don’t you miss the competitions?”

“I’m kinda baffling you’re implying Keith and I broke up,” Shiro jokes. He lends a little towards the mic. “I want to assure everyone out there, Keith and I are still together, and very happy. And, by the way, the fact that athletes don’t have sex before their competitions… it’s a lie.”

Bob releases a small, embarrassed chuckle. “Good to know.” Abrupt, he changes argument. “Now, the first team is the Canadian one…”

Shiro is glad he can return talking about something different than the result of the loss of his right arm.

Of course, he misses the competitions. He misses everything about them: the beating of his heart before every dive, the hardness of the platform behind him, or the small vibrations of the springboard. The whistle of the wind as he fells, the flexion of the muscles as he turned and twisted in the air and the cold feeling of the water as he dived inside.

And he missed Keith too. Their training together, the joy after a victory and the comforting hug after a defeat. The way Keith looked at him from the second place of the podium, and the smile when he’s in the first place next to him. The way they climbed together to reach the platform, their steps coordinated, and so were their hearts and their breaths.

Shiro misses standing next to him on the same platform.

Luckily, when Bob avoids the topic, Shiro has some distractions. Keith’s long legs as he takes place on the springboard, and how the very small swimwear underlines his ass…

“So, for the first dive, they chose a Back Dive.”

The competition! That’s the distraction Shiro means, of course.

“Degree of Difficulty 2.0, the standard one for the first round,” Shiro explains, trying to be as professional as possible. “Good elevation, good synchronization… Uhm, Lance’s entrance in the water was a little too generous.”

“He did better in the semi,” Bob points out. “Maybe the tension of his first final is showing.”

Shiro looks careful: as Keith and Lance get out from the pool, Keith places a hand on Lance’s back, and he doesn’t let it go until they reach the small poll for cooling down. Shiro remembers of many times he put his hand on Keith’s shoulder to calm his spirit during the competition.

Keith grew up: now he’s the one giving advice. Shiro can bet Keith’s whispering ‘patience yields focus’ to Lance.

“It’s only the first dive, and they didn’t lose much,” Shiro comments when the score comes out and puts them in fourth place. “Lance won’t disappoint with the most important dives.”

And Lance proves Shiro right just with their next dive: a reverse with one and a half Somersaults and three and a half Twists, with perfect synchronization and a nice entrance in the water.

“They chose this jump because it works better with long-limbed athletes like Keith, and Lance has a body-type very similar to him,” Shiro explains. “And that’s it, look at that score.”

Lance rejoices, fist lifted in the air, and then he gives Keith a friendly smack of excitement in the back. Keith shots an annoyed glare at him, but he doesn’t hide the smile on his face.

“And they didn’t get along at first, right?” Bob says amused.

Shiro chuckles a little. ‘Not getting along’ is a little bit of an understatement for Keith and Lance’s relationship at the beginning of their professional path. But Lance needs a partner better than him, to make him grown and go behind his limits, and Keith needs someone that wouldn’t take his shit and that it’s able to tell him how and when to stop.

They work well together. Different from the kind of pair Shiro and Keith were, of course, but not worse.

Shiro is glad Keith found someone else to rely on. Losing a diving champion was enough; he wouldn’t have forgiven himself if the sport would lose Keith and his talent too.

“They made a long way together,” he whispers. “And they’ll show everyone today.”

After four rounds, they are third.

After five, they are second, right after the Chinese team, a handful of points below.

“The Degree of Difficult of Keith and Lance’s last dive is higher,” Shiro says, unable to contain his excitement at the news. “It means if both teams score the same, Keith and Lance will still manage to take the first spot.”

“A forward dive with two and a half somersaults and three twists,” Bob reads the description. “It used to be _your_ signature dive.”

For once, Shiro doesn’t pay attention to Bob’s remark. His eyes are focused on Keith, his impassible and concentrate face as he walks on the springboard. He jumps, and Lance with him. They roll, and they twist, and they dive in the water in a perfect vertical.

“Yes!” Shiro yells, smashing his hand on the desk in front of him. He doesn’t care if it’s not professional. Right now, he’s pretty much a fan.

He told Keith, once, that he wouldn’t have given up on him, ever. But that Keith shouldn’t give up on himself either. Shiro is so glad Keith didn’t, especially for him. He deserves every victory.

“The Chinese team is ready for their last dive,” Bob points out.

“They won’t be able to surpass them,” Shiro states. “I don’t believe it.”

And they don’t. Their dive is good, but not good enough, and they slip in the second position.

“And so, after six amazing dives, the USA team grab the gold!” Bob exclaims, finally giving up in the collective enthusiasm around. “Keith Kogane, three competitions, three gold. What a champion. And Lance too, of course, he manages to stay focused at his first final.”

Bob goes on with his speech, but Shiro’s attention is all on Keith. He’s serious, looking at the panel as he waits for the score of the Chinese pair. Then, his blue eyes widen and his mouth drops open.

“We did it!” Lance’s screams are audible from the journalists’ station, and then he traps Keith into a deadly hug.

Keith isn’t a hug type. Shiro used to be the only exception, and he took time to Keith to cool down to others hugging him. But then, he returns Lance’s hug, arms press against the other’s back. Lance is sobbing of happiness against Keith’s shoulder, and coach Coran joins their hug soon enough.

Shiro misses that too, the adrenaline wearing off, and the happiness, and the tears.

Lance collects back himself when the Brazilian journalist joins him and Keith for the interview post-victory. He basically monopolizes all the interview, blabbering about how much is proud, how much he works for this winning, and about his family and the fact he dedicates the victory to them. He has the Cuban flag on his shoulder.

“And what about you, Keith?” At last, the journalist turns towards him.

“Yes… I’m very happy.” Keith isn’t a man of many words.

“This is your first Olympic Gold in a synchro competition,” the journalist presses. “Last time, with Takashi Shirogane, you only got the silver.”

Keith’s face hardens and he clenches his first.

Shiro grits his teeth at hearing that. Can’t they just let it go?

“How has been competing without him, after his accident? Was it hard?”

“Shiro is still with us,” Lance intervenes. “He’s on the team, and he helped us a lot. He’s my hero.”

The journalist looks annoyed by the interruption, but he does not dare to ask something again.

When Keith speaks, his voice is steady. “I will regret forever not managing to win a gold medal with Shiro. But Shiro was the only one that never gave up on me, so I promise him I wouldn’t give up on myself. That’s why I’m here.”

“Thank you for your time,” the journalist cuts the interview. “And congratulation again.”

“What an amazing competition, everyone,” Bob comments at the mic. “Stay with us: after a brief advertisement, we’ll be there for the award ceremony.”

Bob doesn’t stop Shiro as he slips off the station to join the USA diving team on the stands. Hunk is moved to tears too, Romelle is screaming at the top of her lungs, and Matt and Pidge are waving their flag around. Shiro fears they might fall, giving how much they stretch out. Allura is more reserved, but there is a big smile on her face, who increases as she sees Shiro.

“They did a wonderful job,” she says. “Are you okay?” she asks then, with a little concern.

“Why shouldn’t I be?” Shiro answers, and it isn’t a lie.

He misses a lot from the competitions. But he hasn’t lost the fire yet. He finds new purposes, helping the team as a secondary coach, as a motivator, and as a manager. And, with the exception of Bob, he doesn’t mind his work as a journalist too. Being a fan isn’t too bad.

He said, once, that Keith has great potential, the day he invited him to join the Galaxy Diving School.

He’s happy to see him fulfill it.

“You have a spot for me?” he asks, and Pidge lends him a flag.

He doesn’t return next to Bob for the award ceremony. He remains there, with the other members of the team, and enjoys all the scene from there. Lance isn’t crying anymore, and he abandons the Cuban flag he had before. When the national anthem begins, he starts crying again and he sings all of it at the top of his voice.

Keith is stoic. He’s used to be on the podium, that is his third gold on the same Olympics. Still, Shiro doesn’t miss the little smile he gives when the referee delivers him the medal, neither the fact that his eyes are trembling a little. He’s moved by this particular victory.

Once the anthem finishes, the three teams on the podium pose for the journalists and photographers and then head back for the dressing room. That’s where Shiro intercepts them. Of course, all the athletes recognize him: one year and a half aren’t enough to forget the Champion of the swimming pool.

“Congratulations.” He means for both Keith and Lance, but his eyes are on Keith.

“Thank you,” Keith answers. “Wish you would have been there with me.”

It shows he feels still a little guilty they only got the silver at the previous Olympics. Shiro knows they both were at fault there, not only Keith. And still, he treasures that moment on the podium with Keith.

“I would love to,” he replies. “But you deserve it more than anyone else.”

“It’s all yours, Shiro. Your support, your faith, your…” He doesn’t say the word, but Shiro still understands what he means. “I won’t be there without you. My life would’ve been a lot different.”

“I can say the same.” Shiro kneels down and takes off a small box from his pocket. “Keith, will you marry me?”

Keith freezes on the spot, his eyes pass between Shiro’s face and the ring, his mouth opens and closes, unable to speak. The other athletes around look at each other, unsure how to react at the entire situation, until Lance elbows Keith.

“Y-Yes. I… Of course, I want to marry you.”

Three Olympic gold medals haven’t been able to move Keith to tears.

Shiro has.

**Author's Note:**

> I remembered the proposal from the Chinese Team in Rio and of course, SheithAU.
> 
> If you want to check the dives, here's some useful link I found:  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KplQlR8VX9E  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNS0Kg2dpCw  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZgRH3aqckU
> 
> (There is some poetic license, please let them go XD)


End file.
